Recipe: Sweet Lamb Tagine

Ingredients

• 3 white onions
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
• 3 bay leaves
• salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup (125ml) olive oil
• 8 lamb forequarter chops
• 2 cups (500ml) water
• Juice of 2 oranges
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 8 pitted prunes
• 1/2 cup (75g) roast blanched almonds
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Method
If possible, start this recipe the day before you want to serve it.

1. Chop two onions into rings and set aside.
2. Chop the other onions up into small pieces.
3. Combine the chopped up onion with the paprika, saffron, ginger, bay leaves, salt, pepper and olive oil.
4. Cut the chops in half and coat with this mixture.
5. Marinate for at least 4 hours - overnight if possible.
6. Brown chops in a heavy-based pan for 10 minutes over medium heat.
7. Add water, bring to the boil and simmer for a few hours (the longer the more tender the meat comes). The meat in the photo was cooked for about 4 hours and fell right away from the bone.
8. Add onion rings, orange juice, honey and cinnamon.
9. Simmer a further 15 minutes.
10. Towards the end of cooking add the prunes.
11. Stand for 15 minutes then transfer the meat to a tajine (if you have one).
12. Pour the sweet onion sauce from the pot over the top and garnish with almonds and sesame seeds.